Bhubaneswar: The next phase of the inventory of the Ratna Bhandar in Puri will be conducted over three days from April 8, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said Saturday.
Speaking to reporters, Harichandan said preparations have been completed for the next phase of the inventory of the Bahar Bhandar or outer chamber. “During this period, the ornaments and valuables of the deities will be counted, weighed and digitally documented, including through 3D mapping,” he said.
The 12th-century shrine is administered by the state Law department. The outer chamber houses ornaments and valuables used during major festivals such as the Suna Besha (golden attire) of the deities, which is observed five times a year, including once on the chariots during the Rath Yatra.
Harichandan said about 80 per cent of the movable treasures kept in the ‘Chalanti’ Ratna Bhandar (ornaments used for daily rituals) were documented on the first day of the inventory March 25 using 3D mapping, photography and videography.
Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee said the inventory exercise, being conducted after a gap of 48 years, covers three categories of storage. The inner chamber of the Ratna Bhandar, where the temple’s most valuable ornaments have been preserved for centuries, falls under the first category.
Jewellery used during festivals is classified under the second category and stored in the outer chamber, while daily-use ornaments are listed under the third category. Padhee said the process, which began March 25 under tight security, is being carried out by teams comprising temple servitors, bank officials, gemologists and representatives of the RBI. He said the inventory is being cross-verified with records from 1978.
Each ornament is being weighed and examined by gemologists, and then digitally documented and securely packed in specially prepared chests based on metal classification, he added.